


Getting Lost in the Stars

by LeChatRouge673



Series: Thea's Song [44]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Month Long Challenge, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 14:07:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 11,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29610561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673
Summary: A month-long 'challenge' piece for modern AU Thea. Rather than use a traditional list of prompts, I chose to use this opportunity to fill in some of the gaps of her story from Where Lightning Strikes the Sea, as well as explore some side tangents I've always wanted to write but have never quite put down on paper. Where applicable, I have made notes as to where the day's piece fits within the greater storyline of WLSTS. Thank you for reading! <3
Relationships: Female Cousland & Nathaniel Howe, Loghain Mac Tir/Female Trevelyan
Series: Thea's Song [44]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/890931
Comments: 32
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This piece takes place directly before the events of chapter one of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

She had to be careful about this.

Thea was one of her favorite people in the entire world; honestly, she was Anora’s best friend. And because of the close relationship they had, Anora knew she had more leeway than most when it came to poking and prodding at Thea’s personal life, or at her feelings. Still, this was particularly fraught territory and if she wanted this to work, _oh_ how she wanted this to work, she would have to play her cards just right.

“So. Any luck talking your aunt and uncle out of the party?”

Thea grimaced, taking a long drink of her coffee before responding. “Of course not,” she sighed. “I have stopped trying, to be honest. I knew the fight was lost as soon as the invitations went out.” Her shoulders lifted in a shrug of resignation. “They have done so much for me, Nora. They are the only parents I have ever known. They want to throw this party, for me and for the formal handover of the business, and if it will make them happy I will suffer through it.”

“You are a good person,” Anora noted, with only a trace of teasing. She knew Thea prided herself on her prickly personality. “I meant to talk to you about the invitations, actually,” she continued, keeping her tone casual. “Did you know Eleanor put a note on mine, saying I could bring a plus one?”

Thea shook her head, but did not seem bothered by the news. “I did not, but I am not displeased. I know it can get lonely for you at these events, even when you are surrounded by people. Cat and Nate will be there, of course, but they will have to make the rounds themselves. Did you have anyone in mind?”

“Well,” Anora spoke carefully, “I had thought I would bring my father.”

Her friend froze across the table from her, her coffee cup halfway to her lips. It only lasted a moment before Thea relaxed back against her chair and said, “Last I heard, he refused to leave Gwaren. I find it difficult to believe you will be able to convince him to return simply for something as inconsequential as a birthday party.”

“You are not wrong,” Anora agreed, “But you know things are getting… complicated… with Orlais. I have asked him to come back to consult on the matter. These things are too sensitive to trust strictly to email. He has agreed to return on a temporary basis.”

Thea was quiet, but Anora could tell her mind was working at a rapid pace. Finally, she gave another small shrug. “Hm. Well, good luck convincing him to make an appearance.”

“He had already agreed.”

The color drained from Thea’s face even as a flush rose in her cheeks. “I see.”

Anora resisted the urge to smile. “I would like to introduce you to him.”

Thea stared at her flatly. “You do not think he has suffered enough?”

“Oh, Thea.” Anora did laugh then. “You know damn well I think he is going to adore you. And I think you are going to like him. A lot.” _Hopefully more than ‘like’, if I am lucky_. “Just meet him. That is all I ask.”

Thea sighed. “Ok, Nora,” she conceded. “I suppose I can at least introduce myself.” 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece takes place during the chapter break in chapter 2 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

Her heart was racing.

She had never felt like this before; never felt this intense rush of excitement and anxiety and curiosity. Not with her previous partners, certainly. She had been trying all evening to convince herself that what was she was feeling was nothing more than the results of her long, semi-secret crush on Loghain Mac Tir, but the longer she lay there in bed, unable to drift to sleep and utterly incapable of quieting her own thoughts, the more she began to suspect it was so much more than that.

_ Damn it, Anora _ .

Thea had to give begrudging credit to her friend: Nora knew what she was doing. The fifteen or so minutes Thea had spent with Loghain had been the best part of her entire evening. Meeting him had been everything she had hoped it would be. No, it had been _better_. He was intelligent and quick witted and charismatic and maker _damn it_ but he was sexy. Thea was immensely proud of herself for maintaining her composure as well as she had, especially given she had been praying the entire time he would not be able to hear her heart beating rapidly in her chest.

Of course, they had not parted under quite the circumstances she would have liked, and she hoped her uncle had not been able to hear the bitterness in her voice when he came to retrieve her back to the party. She had probably thoroughly managed to make a mess of her first impression, but that had not stopped her from spending the rest of the evening growing increasingly irate at not being able to catch Loghain alone again. Nor had it stopped her from letting herself sink into the still vivid memories of meeting him as her hands ran over her body, her imagination sparking fresh want and need in her.

With a long sigh, Thea rolled out of bed. She clearly was not going to be getting much sleep tonight, not without help in any case. Padding down the stairs and flicking on the light in the kitchen, she set the kettle on and began preparing a cup of the sleep tea Cat had blended for her. While waiting for the water to boil, she checked the notifications on her phone and was surprised to see there was a text from Anora. Her friend must have sent it shortly after she and her father had left the party.

_ A: Thea, I know you are swamped at the moment handling the business transition, but I am losing my mind a bit here. Think you might be able to swing by the palace tomorrow, let me bounce some ideas off of you? _

Thea hesitated before replying, biting her lower lip and frowning at the screen. On the one hand, this was exactly the flimsy excuse she had been looking for: a chance to possibly run into Loghain again without actually admitting she wanted to. On the other hand, that was almost certainly _exactly_ why Anora was asking.

_ T: You know I am always here for you, Nora, and I am more than happy to make time to come in. But wouldn’t your father be better suited to what you need? _

_ A: I had a feeling you would still be awake. And maybe, but I think he is still settling in. Besides, I need someone who will just listen for a bit, not try to fix things. _

Thea could not help but laugh quietly at that.

_ T: Fair enough. I have meetings in the morning, but I can swing by in the afternoon. Say, around 1:00? _

_ A: Perfect. :) _


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece takes place during the chapter break in chapter 3 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

He knew he had read the words on the screen at least three times, yet Loghain could not for the life of him say what they said.

Instead, his mind kept returning to the vibrant, intelligent, stunningly beautiful woman who had so recently had her arm tucked around his. They had agreed to move to a first name basis and he was infinitely glad to have done so, because he found he loved the way his name sounded when it came from her lips. Moreover, he loved the way her name sounded in his own mouth. _Theadosia_. It was a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. 

_ Maker… what is wrong with me? _

A single afternoon in her company, and he was already dizzy with thoughts of her; was already thinking of ways he might see her again. Which was ridiculous in and of itself: why in the world would Theadosia be interested in him? A man too old, too broken, and too bitter to ever deserve her. And why did that train of thought make his heart ache? He had never felt like this before. And that knowledge alone alarmed him, given he had been married once and involved with one other woman before that. But Theadosia… she was different. He still could not quite pin down why; he simply knew she was.

“You are being an idiot,” he growled to himself under his breath, shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts but failing spectacularly. Twenty-four hours ago he had planned on making his visit in Denerim as short as possible, now he was trying to think of every excuse possible to stay. He had to make a brief trip back to Gwaren and take care of a few things, but he planned on coming right back. Actually, while he was there, he might as well look and see if he could find that book… 

“Father?”

He looked up to face Anora, who was standing in the doorway to his office with a small smile on her face. “Apologies, Anora,” he sighed. “I am not certain where my mind is.”

Her expression shifted subtly, to something almost self-satisfied, and once again Loghain found himself suspecting his daughter’s sudden insistence on his return, as well as his chance meeting of Theadosia, were not so incidental after all. “You have had a very busy few days,” she nodded, her tone sympathetic. “What time is your flight tomorrow morning?”

“Too early,” Loghain sighed. “7:00 a.m.” He hesitated, debating whether or not he ought to admit his change of plans, then ultimately decided it would not matter in the long run. “I did change my return flight, though. I will be returning Wednesday afternoon instead of Saturday morning. ”

His daughter’s smile widened. “My, but that will be a brief trip. Though I am certainly not sorry to know you will be returning sooner rather than later.” She did not press him for any more information, and he did not offer any. He had a feeling she already knew damn well why he was so eager to return to the city he had once been so desperate to leave. “Well, in that case, perhaps I should reschedule my plans with Thea. We were planning on having dinner together Thursday night, but if you would prefer it just be you and me for now-”

“No,” he replied, then internally cursed at how quickly he had done so. “No,” he repeated, his voice more steady. “I do not want to inconvenience you or your plans. I see no reason why Theadosia’s presence should be an issue.”

“Wonderful,” Anora said, her tone telling him she already knew what his answer would be as she casually sauntered out the door. “I am looking forward to it.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece takes place directly after chapter 3 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

“You could have just picked up a pizza, you know.”

Thea raised her eyebrows briefly in Anora’s direction before pouring the pasta into the strainer and running cold water over it. Her friend was perched on a stool at the island in the palace kitchen, an annoyingly serene smile on her face. Thea shrugged. “You didn’t express a preference when I asked what you wanted, Nora dear. Besides, I thought you liked this recipe.”

“I love it,” Anora agreed. “It is, in fact, a favorite. I just feel bad you are putting in so much effort for a casual dinner with friends. Especially since I know you have had a trying time at work these past few days.”

“On that count, you are not wrong,” Thea sighed, pulling the sauce from the fridge and pouring it over the cooled pasta before grabbing a pair of tongs to coat it. “Sebastian Vael is dancing on my last nerve, Rivain wants to renegotiate their port fees _again_ , and Antiva cannot seem to decide exactly who I need to lose my marmalade with in regards to that shipment of wine that went missing last month. I was having Josephine put out some feelers through the more traditional channels, but she’s had no luck, so I think I am going to see if I cannot contract with Bela to… reacquire… it.”

Anora gave a small hum of laughter. “I am going to pretend I did not hear that,” she deadpanned, then picked up the salad and a plate of flatbread as they made their way back to her private apartment.

“Hey, Bela always works within the law,” Thea protested, then amended, “More or less.” She nudged the door open with her hip, then followed Anora in before very nearly dropping the bowl of pasta she was carrying. A fact that, much to her annoyance, was not lost on Anora, whose smile widened as she set the food down on the dining table and walked over to give her father a hug. Over her head, Loghain Mac Tir gave Thea a nod.

“Theadosia. It is good to see you again.”

“You too,” she replied, silently grateful her voice was not quavering as much as her hands seemed to be. She had _known_ he was going to be there, for maker’s sake. It was, in fact, why she had put so much effort into preparing a proper dinner rather than going the lazy route and picking up take-out for their weekly dinner. She set the pasta on the table before taking the seat across from him, forcing herself to meet his eyes, trying to maintain her standard half-smile when for some impossible reason she was finding it difficult to care if he saw her _truly_ smile.

“Here,” Loghain said, passing her a glass of water and then a smaller tumbler of amber liquor. “Anora mentioned you have had a very trying week. Perhaps this will help.”

Thea accepted the glass, the coolness of it contrasting sharply with the warmth of his fingers as they brushed against hers and making her heart leap briefly in her chest. She gave the drink a delicate sniff, then a sip. She had to resist the urge to breathe a long sigh and sink back into her chair. “Mmm. Meridian Glen. A very, _very_ good whiskey. And,” she glanced briefly at Loghain, who now seemed to be very intent on the piece of flatbread he was pulling apart, “the only reason I put up with Vael as much as I do.” A fact she had mentioned to him the day before, and that he had apparently made a point of remembering.

Anora seemed to be biting back a grin, but she merely nodded before taking her own seat. “Well, I am certainly glad you are pleased. Father was particularly insistent we serve it with dinner.”

Across the table Loghain rolled his eyes, but if she did not know any better…

Thea could swear he had almost smiled too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This piece takes place directly after chapter four of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

It probably should have concerned her more that her first instinct whenever a call came through was to tense up. When she saw the name on the caller ID, however, Thea relaxed and accepted the call.

“Hey, Mar. What’s up?”

“Do I need an excuse to check in on my little sister?” Margot asked, the warmth of her voice carrying even over the phone line.

Thea gave a brief snort. “Hardly ‘little’ anymore,” she protested, “Given I am officially all of thirty as of last month.”

“Hate to break it to you Baby Bear, but you will _always_ be the little sister,” Margot teased, using the old nickname that only she ever got away with. “I am sorry again I was not able to make it to the party. I heard it was lovely. Eleanor always throws the best events.”

Thea hesitated for a moment, wondering what exactly her sister had heard. “It was not as bad as I expected it to be,” she replied, keeping her tone casual. “I missed you, of course, but Cat and Nate were there, and Nora, and-”

“And Teyrn Mac Tir, from what I understand.”

Thea cursed silently under her breath, but managed to keep her tone even. “Nora’s father? Yes, he was there. I hardly had a chance to speak with him, though. You know how chaotic those things are.”

“Hmm,” Margot hummed to herself. “That’s not what I heard from Cat.”

Thea rolled her eyes, and based on her sister’s muffled laughter, her sister could guess what she’d done even without being able to see it. “Cat is being impossible,” she grumbled. “And her husband is no better.”

“ _They’re_ impossible?” Margot broke out in real laughter at that point. “Says the woman who would refuse to admit the sky was blue if it did not suit her mood at the time. Honestly, it is about damn time the two of you met properly. You’ve been mooning over him for years and yet always managing to scurry off and leave me to handle things whenever we had business dealings with Gwaren.”

“I most certainly do not _moon_ over anyone!” Thea protested, her voice aghast. “I… I find him…”

“Thea,” Margot interrupted gently, “Would it be so awful if he did like you? If you actually _did_ try again, with someone who actually was worthy of you?”

Thea was quiet for a long moment. Relationships were not, and never had been, her strong suit. Her first relationship had really been more of a friends with benefits situation with a man who she trusted to be her first sexual partner, and who taught her a great deal of what she knew now, as well as nudging her towards finding herself as well. Then there had been Maecena, which was where things had really fallen apart. Despite every logical bone in her body telling her she was not to blame for Mae’s abusive behavior, nor the fallout thereof, Thea was still somehow ashamed of the time she had wasted there.

“I don’t know, Mar,” she finally sighed. “Maybe? I still don’t know if this is going anywhere.”

“Cat says the two of you have been spending quite a bit of time together,” Margot prodded. “And that you seem happier than… well, than you ever have. Which, coming from Cat, is saying something.”

Thea exhaled heavily. “Yeah,” she admitted. “I enjoy being with him. A lot. I could see this… being something. Maybe. _Possibly_.”

Margot laughed quietly on the other end of the line.

“It’s a start.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey, Thea? May I ask you something?”

Thea raised an eyebrow in her cousin’s direction. “Of course, Catkin. What’s up?”

Cat studied her carefully for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then, when she finally spoke, it was not even remotely what Thea was expecting. “Why did you and Nate never sleep together?”

Thea nearly choked on her beer, accepting the napkin Cat calmly handed over to her and taking a deep breath before replying. “What in the world brought that up?”

Cat shrugged. “A lot of people thought you two would end up together, you know. The two of you were nearly inseparable growing up.”

“Yes, because he was my best friend, and one of the only people who could put up with me for any particular length of time,” Thea snorted, standing up and walking into the kitchen to refresh her drink. “And I think you will find most people who actually knew us also knew he was head over heels in love with you from the time we were all kids.”

She was quiet for a moment, then sighed. “We did consider it,” she finally admitted. “I know I didn’t talk about it much, but I was oddly terrified of having sex for the first time. And once you started dating the doofus-who-shall-not-be-named, Nate was pretty heartbroken and was pretty much ready to give up on you. We thought that, maybe if my first time was with someone I loved and trusted, it wouldn’t be so bad.”

To her relief, Cat did not seem angered by this confession. In fact, she was smiling just slightly. “So what stopped you?”

Thea offered a small half smile in return. “What do you think? At the end of the day, I couldn’t go through with it. Not when I knew in my heart that you were both head over heels in love with each other. And Nate couldn’t either, because even then he was holding out hope for you. On top of which, it might have ended up changing our dynamic, which we decided just was not worth it.”

Cat nodded thoughtfully. “That all makes sense. I admit, it is a little strange for me to think of you being shy about such things, given what I _know_ you have gotten up to.”

“And that is the cleaned up version,” Thea laughed, ignoring the good-natured eye roll Cat gave her. “But yes, it worked out in the end. Venna helped a lot, actually. She knew how antsy I was about sex, and she was the one who suggested I talk to Zev. Of course, then talking turned into a lot more, but it was what I needed. He was very patient with me, very respectful, and kind. Plus,” her smile widened just slightly, “he taught me a lot of things that have proven to be very, very useful in the long run.”

Thea sat back down at the dining room table. “I am still glad my first time was with a friend,” she said. “And I am glad the sex, or the cessation thereof, did not ruin my friendship with Zev. But I’m also really glad it wasn’t with Nate.”

“I would have gotten over it if it had been,” Cat said quietly, “but… I’m glad too. It just would have felt…”  
  
“The word you are looking for, my dear Catkin, is _weird_ ,” Thea interjected flatly. “Nate is basically my brother. Even if the two of you hadn’t been hopeless for each other, it would have been _weird_.”

Cat just laughed.

“Fair enough.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place after chapter 5 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

Thea could feel her eyelids drifting shut as she struggled to re-focus her eyes on the page. Really, she should have just taken the paperwork home to work on it there, or scanned the documents and emailed them to herself, rather than sitting here in the palace library far past her bedtime and trying to untangle the mess of old trade agreements and treaty provisions Anora had asked her to review. With things as unsteady as they were with Orlais, her friend wanted to make as certain as she could that their economic ties were clean and precise. Or at least, as clean as they ever could be when it came to their neighbors to the west.

“Theadosia?”

She looked up, too exhausted to be truly startled as Loghain entered the library, a bemused set to his expression. “Loghain, what in the world are you doing up so late?”

His features settled into something almost amused. “I think a better question would be what in the world _you_ are doing up so early.”

“Shit,” Thea swore quietly, taking her phone out of her handbag for the first time in, apparently, hours, as the time now read 5:33 in the morning. She had started at 7:00 the night before. “I was so wrapped up in these old documents I completely lost track of time,” she admitted, rubbing her eyes briefly. “Though since we’re on the subject anyways, why are you already awake?”

Loghain shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep, and I’ve learned there’s little sense in fighting it when I could just as soon get up and do something useful.”

Thea felt her lips tilt up in a small smile before she could stop herself. “Like finding your erstwhile friend working herself to exhaustion for lack of common sense?”

“Something like that,” he replied with a quiet smile of his own. She was finding she quite liked it when he smiled, all the more so because he seemed to do so only around her. “You must be exhausted.”

She winced slightly. “Maker, I must look an absolute mess. I apologize-”

“‘Mess’ is one of the last words I would use to describe you, Theadosia,” he interrupted, his tone softer than usual. “Though I was going to say I was on my way to the kitchens for coffee anyways. I would be grateful for the company.”

“I imagine few others are awake this early, are they?” Thea noted as she stood and stretched, doing her best to ignore the protest in her muscles.

“And even fewer I would be inclined to spend time with,” he agreed, opening the door to the library and allowing her to precede him into the hallway.

It was, as she expected, quite empty, and she felt a bloom of warmth in her heart when he offered her his arm, a gesture he usually reserved for their walks in the garden. She slipped her arm through his, squeezing slightly as she rested her head briefly against his shoulder. Maker, she still had not the slightest idea what she was getting into… or whether she was completely misreading his intentions or his interest, but for now… for now, this was enough.

“Coffee sounds lovely.”


	8. Chapter 8

“How many do you think there are?”

Thea accepted the joint from Ven, taking a long drag before letting her hand fall to her side as the hammock swung lazily beneath them, her facing the sea, Ven facing back towards the city. Oddly emblematic of their respective aesthetics, really. “How many of what, Ven?”

Ven gestured vaguely upwards. “Stars. You’re smart about star stuff.”

“Fuck, Ven, I don’t know,” Thea laughed, handing the joint back. Her second cousin tended towards philosophical absurdity when she was high, which always proved interesting and, sometimes, profound. “Billions? Trillions? I know their stories, Venna, not their science.”

The other woman gave an overly dramatic sigh. “I’m far too lazy to try counting.”

Thea responded with a snort. “You’re high as a kite, woman. ‘Lazy’ has nothing to do with it. Though if you’d like to make an attempt at counting-”

“Hard pass,” Ven retorted. “Speaking of…” she handed the joint back over, then leaned back into the hammock, her features settling into something thoughtful. “Hey, Teddy Girl?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you think happens when we die?”

That was not even remotely what Thea had been expecting, and she had to take a moment to collect her thoughts before she was able to reply. “I suppose I don’t really know.”

“Mmm. All those years with all your books, you never found a good answer?”

Thea shrugged. “No,” she replied bluntly. “I have studied religious and faith systems from all over Thedas, and from every age. All it did was muddy the waters, because I found bits and pieces from nearly all of them that I liked, or that I could at least understand. I loved the symbolism of the Avvar sky burials. The Nevarran necropolises are magnificently macabre. Andraste’s got an interesting story, I’ll give her that much. But I just…”

She let her thought trail off, but Ven did not seem bothered by it. “Sometimes it is hard to believe in anything, you know? Seeing the way the world is. The way people are. The things they’re capable of.”

“Yes,” Thea agreed quietly, guessing where Ven’s thoughts had drifted too. It had only been a few years since Ven’s mother had been brutally murdered. Even though the Ven and Leandra had butted heads at every opportunity, they had still been family, and that tragedy had come too close on the heels of another. “I will say that, if there is some sort of God, I do not think I believe in him the way I am supposed to.”

Ven laughed, the honesty of the sound lifting some of the anxiety from Thea’s heart. “Teddy Girl, when have you _ever_ done things the way you were supposed to?” Then, her expression turned serious again. “ _Do_ you believe in something? Anything?”

Thea nodded slowly. “Yes, I think I do. I suppose the closest thing you could call me is agnostic. I believe in _something_. After all,” she lifted a hand towards the vast glittering expanse of her beloved stars.

“It’s an awfully big universe.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place after chapter 6 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

“I’m sorry, Nora,” Thea croaked, her throat raw from the coughing fits that had kept her up all night. “You know me: if there were any possible way to keep denying the fact I’ve caught cold, I would do it, but at this point I would just be risking infecting you. We’ll have to reschedule that meeting.”

“Of course, Thea,” her friend reassured her on the other end of the line. “If you are actually admitting you are sick, it must be bad. Is there anything I can do?”

“Put me out of my misery?” Thea grumbled, burrowing deeper into the cocoon of blankets Nathaniel had wrapped around her earlier when he had come over to check on her. Anora gave a quiet laugh.

“Afraid not, dear,” she replied, her tone sympathetic. “Alright, well, get some rest. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks, Nora,” Thea said, her energy waning. “Bye.” She managed to hang up the call and set her phone on her bedside table before she sank back against her pillows and drifted into the uneasy sleep of fever dreams. It was always a particular indignity to her, being ill. She was supposed to be indestructible, or damn near close, and being laid low by something as banal as a flu was just insulting. Worse, at least to her mind, was the way the people she loved worried about her. On the one hand, she was utterly grateful for it, on the other, she felt an irrational guilt for causing them grief.

She had no idea how long she slept, only that when she was woken up by the insistent buzz of her phone vibrating on her nightstand, the sun had sunk lower in the sky and dusk was beginning to brush against the sea outside her window. Still bleary-eyed, it took her several attempts to read the text Anora had sent her.

_A: I’ve been asked to tell you to check your front porch._

Thea groaned, but dragged herself out of her bed and trudged down the stairs. Whatever was on her porch had damn well better be worth it, as it was very likely going to take her another fifteen minutes to drag herself back up to bed. Come to think of it, the couch was rapidly becoming the more appealing option. When she finally made it to the door, she was surprised to find a picnic basked sitting there. Glancing around but spotting no one, she pulled it into her house with more effort than she liked to admit.

Once she had dragged the basket to the living room and curled up on the couch, she warily opened it up and began examining the contents: tissues, cough drops, a bag of lavender scented bath salts, two boxes of throat coat tea, a take-out container of still piping hot chicken noodle soup, a bottle of orange juice, and a well-worn copy of a book she did not recognize. At the bottom was an envelope with a card inside featuring a rather cross looking cat, which made her crack a small smile despite herself.

_Theadosia-_

_Anora said you were ill and that, like myself, you are reluctant to take care of yourself properly. Hopefully these things will help. The book is a personal favorite, and I hope you enjoy it as well. Feel better soon._

_-L_

Thea knew the heat rising in her cheeks had nothing to do with her fever. She carefully set the soup and the juice on the table, then reached for her phone.

_T: Please tell him I said thank you. This is exactly what I needed, and I look forward to thanking him personally once I am no longer, you know,_ dying _._

_A: Always so dramatic. :’D I am certain he is looking forward to it, too._


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place directly before chapter 8 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

“You were right, Thea, this was _exactly_ what we needed.”

Thea opened one eye to peer over at Cat, who was situated on the massage table to her right. “Hey, we have _all_ been working our asses off. We deserve to take a spa day.”

“Agreed,” Anora chimed in from her left side. “This situation with Orlais has just become an absolute nightmare. Honestly, I am half tempted to just set my father on them again.”

“And create an even bigger diplomatic headache,” Thea retorted dryly, and she heard Ven give a snort of laughter from the other side of Cat.

Anora just gave a small smile. “That reminds me, Thea: he did ask me to give you his regards. I think he has been lonely since you have not been to the palace recently.”

Thea did not need to turn her head to know that Cat and Ven were almost certainly grinning ear to ear. “In my defense, Nora,” she replied as calmly as she could manage, “I was fair certain I was dying. That flu bug was no joke. And then I had a veritable mountain of work to catch up on when I got back to the office.”

“Oh, naturally,” Anora agreed with an air of innocence. “I told him as much. Still, I think he misses your company. He finds so few people worth his time these days, and you seem to have become a particularly bright spot in his days.”

“Sounds familiar,” Cat spoke up, and Thea could hear the lilt of laughter underneath her words. Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, she instead indulged in a languid stretch before hopping gracefully off the massage table and sauntering over to the soaking pool, grabbing a mimosa from a nearby tray on her way. As she slipped into the pool, she said a silent prayer the warmth of the water would disguise the warmth in her cheeks. Maker, but that man was becoming a problem. More to the point, her _feelings_ for him were becoming a problem.

She was not remotely surprised when Anora carefully lowered herself into the pool beside her. “He really does miss you, you know,” her friend said quietly, words meant only for the two of them. “And he did not sleep well the entire time you were sick, he was so worried.” Anora hesitated, then continued, “You mean a great deal to him, Thea. I know he does not always express himself well, or admit his feelings-”

“He is a good friend, Nora,” Thea interjected before Anora could finish her thought. “I promise, I will come in tomorrow after work. I have an afternoon meeting with Cat and Josephine about the upcoming peace talks, but I should be free the rest of the day.”

Anora smiled. “I am sure he will appreciate that. Has Josie made any progress getting Seawolf & Steed into the talks?”

“She thinks so,” Cat spoke up as she and Ven joined them in the pool. “That is why we are meeting tomorrow.”

Anora nodded slowly, the thoughtful expression on her face making Thea nervous for some reason she could not quite pinpoint. “I see. Well, do let me know what she comes up with. I am making my final decisions about who to send as well.”

“Of course,” Thea agreed slowly. “Who exactly is on your short list?”

Anora just offered the same, maddening smile.

“Oh, we’ll see.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place directly after chapter 13 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

The royal gardens were quiet and calm, utterly empty of people at this hour. The only light came from the moon and the stars, but Loghain had walked these paths so many times that even that pale wash of luminance was enough. He was grateful for the solitude, for the moment. He needed to think.

Even now, hours later, he could still smell the lingering scent of her lavender perfume against his skin; could still hear the echoes of her voice in his mind as his name slipped so easily from her lips and the moans that had escaped her lungs as they had lost themselves in each other. Sex with Theadosia had been even better than he had ever imagined it to be which, given how much time he had spent imagining it, was saying something.

He was not entirely surprised when his wandering brought him to what he could only think of as ‘their’ bench in the gardens. He sat down, letting the cool smoothness of the wood ground him as he tried to organize his thoughts. What had happened tonight… he hadn’t planned it. Hadn’t even thought it possible, if he were being honest with himself. He and Theadosia had been growing closer and closer ever since the night they had met, and ever since that night she had been on his mind constantly. 

Even now, even in the privacy of his thoughts, he could not yet admit just how far gone he was. He was still trying to deny how he felt about Theadosia, and trying to reconcile the shame he felt that he had never felt like this before, despite having been married once upon a time. In the same moment, however, the emotion overriding everything else was the intense desire to be with her again; to hold her and kiss her and touch her. He had spent so long trying to convince himself this was impossible, and that she would never feel for him the way he felt about her, that realizing there really was something there had set a brilliant blaze in his heart.

It had been so hard to part ways with her, afterwards. Loghain had no idea how long they had sat there in her dressing room at The Hanged Man, simply holding each other, her head nestled against his shoulder and her lips pressing the occasional kiss along his neck or his jaw or his cheek. He had not wanted to let her go, but eventually he had offered to drive her home, and she had accepted. Even then, they had lingered a long time on her front porch, and they both knew it was only the thinnest veneer of restraint keeping them from going upstairs to her bedroom and losing themselves all over again.

Instead, they had agreed to take the night to think, and to decide what they wanted this to be. Loghain already knew his answer, and he suspected Theadosia did too, but they had both been hurt before. They both needed time to think clearly and rationally. 

But since when was love rational?

He lay down against the bench with a sigh, staring up at the glittering stars. Theadosia loved the stars, and Loghain idly wondered if she might like stargazing together. He had never bothered learning the constellations beyond what was necessary for navigation, but somehow the idea of learning them from her was far more appealing. There was a meteor shower coming up, perhaps…

“You are still an idiot,” he grumbled to himself.

But he no longer quite believed it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place during the break of chapter 22 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

“I cannot believe you get delivery out here.”

Thea laughed, scooping some saffron rice out of a plastic container before unwrapping still warm semi-circles of flat bread from their aluminum foil cocoons. “I have a reputation as a good tipper,” she explained, handing over the chicken skewers to Loghain and grabbing a bottle of wine before following him into the living room and sprawling out on the couch. “It is amazing what sort of goodwill and an extra twenty bucks to the delivery driver will get you.”

Loghain leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple, and Thea had to resist the urge to swoon. She still could not believe it: that he loved her, that they were together, that he wanted her. Despite a minor misstep after Ostagar, they had eased into their relationship quickly. He spent the night with her nearly every night, and most of his belongings had somehow made it from his rooms at the palace to her house. At some point they would acknowledge that it was now their house, but for now everything was still bright and new and she was content.

“I am sorry it is not much of a date night,” he sighed, poking at this pillow of rice on his plate. “Someday, when we are able to be open about this…”

“Loghain,” Thea murmured, placing her hand gently on his cheek and turning him to face her, “you’re here. You love me. And we ordered some pretty damn good Seheron take-out. It is perfect.” She dropped a feather light kiss on his nose before reaching for the bottle of wine and pouring them each a glass. “Besides, you know I do not do terribly well with people.”

He accepted the glass she handed to him, studying her thoughtfully. “Which still surprises me, to be honest,” he observed. “Granted, you have a reputation for a bit of a temper, but you are also incredibly well-spoken, the most intelligent woman I’ve ever met, confident, impossibly beautiful…”

“Hush, love, or I might actually start believing you,” she laughed, accepting the kiss he pressed against her lips before replying. “There is a wide divide between the ability to deal with people, and the desire to. You of all people ought to know that.”

He raised an eyebrow in her direction. “Me, of all people?”

“Of course,” Thea nodded, spreading some hummus over her bread. “I have heard you described as a brilliant, charismatic, steadfast leader and general.”

“That might only have been reasonably true when I was amongst my soldiers,” he retorted. “Maybe with the officers. Definitely not amongst the politicians. I still do not know what Anora was thinking bringing me back to Denerim now, when the situation with Orlais is so fragile.”

Thea gave a small cough. “Ah, well… that might be partially my fault.” When he looked at her in question, she sighed. “She wanted me to meet you. Tried dozens of tactics before this one, if you must know. Nora knew I was attracted to you, but I was so convinced that if you actually met me, you would… well, you would notice all my less than stellar qualities rather than the incredibly flattering ones you listed.”

“Oh, Theadosia,” Loghain laughed quietly, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I have never said this in my entire life about anyone, but I truly believe I was meant to be with you. Whatever the circumstances of our meeting, I would not trade you for the world.”

Thea smiled. “Perfect date night,” she announced, and Loghain leaned in closer to whisper in her ear.  
“And it’s not over yet.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place after chapter 25 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

“I do not know about this, Theadosia,” Loghain murmured, his arm still wrapped around her waist as they lay in bed, the warmth of the blankets and each other making it unreasonably difficult to actually get up and start their day.

She nestled closer to him, lacing her fingers with his where they lay across her stomach. “Don’t know about what, love?” She asked, voice still dusky with sleep. It had been many years since she had slept as well as she had been these past couple of weeks, and she was still adjusting to actually getting a solid night’s sleep after years of simply accepting an erratic sleep schedule.

Thea felt his sigh as it ghosted over her cheek. “You know ‘what,’” he replied quietly. “I feel as though I am intruding.”

“Oh, for…” She sat up then, letting the blankets fall to her waist as she raised an eyebrow in Loghain’s direction. “We have been over this. No less than, let me think,” she pretended to consider for a moment, then continued, “twelve times, I believe.”

He rolled his eyes, but she could still see a shadow of doubt there. Thea leaned down, pressing her lips to his and cupping his cheek in her hand. “Loghain, _I love you_. They know this. Have known it far longer than you have, if that helps. Now come on.” She stood up and began poking around in their closet for clothes suitable for the walk through the woods they would be making to Cat and Nathaniel’s house. Loghain got up as well, though he still seemed hesitant. Thea laughed gently before stepping closer and wrapping her arms around him.

“It’s just breakfast, love.”

“I know,” he replied, exhaling heavily. Once they had dressed and made their way downstairs and out the back door, he slipped his hand into hers, a simple gesture that still made her heart skip a beat every single time. The walk through the patch of woods that separated her property from her cousin’s was short but pleasant, and by the time they were climbing the steps to Cat and Nate’s back deck, she could almost swear Loghain was relaxing. She felt his hand squeeze hers just a bit tighter when they walked in the backdoor, but a cheerful greeting from Cataline seemed to put him back at ease.

“Morning, you two!” Cat smiled brightly, and Nathaniel nodded from the kitchen island where he was cradling what Thea had to assume, based on his laconic demeanor, was his first cup of coffee. Neither of them were at their best before their first cup of the morning, which was why she always made sure to have one before she came over. Nevertheless, she accepted the fresh cup Nathaniel slid over to her and dropped a kiss to his cheek.

“You look annoyingly chipper this morning, Teddy Girl,” he observed, and Thea laughed despite herself.

“It is simply amazing what a solid night of sleep will do for me,” she agreed, taking the stool next to his as Loghain offered to help Cat set the table.

Nathaniel nodded, then lowered his voice. “We weren’t sure you were coming,” he admitted. “I know we are still a bit of an unknown for him, but Cat was really hoping we could have a real family breakfast with all of us.”

“I know,” Thea said with a small smile. “It took some convincing, but this will be good for him. He needs to know there are people who care about him; that want him around. I think,” she gave a small sigh, “I think it has been a very long time, Nate.”

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her head. “Well, best get him used to us. He’s family now, so he’s quite stuck with us.”

Thea’s smile brightened.

“I will be sure to break the news.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place between chapters 27 and 28 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

Thea felt as though a weight had been lifted off her heart. In fact, she felt so much better now that she also felt entirely silly for waiting so long to finally tell her friends and family that she was with Loghain. Although, based on their reaction, she and Loghain had not been quite as subtle as they had thought they’d been.

“Oh, I don’t know, Teddy Girl,” Ven shrugged, accepting a stack of freshly washed plates to put up in the cupboard. “Anyone who did not already know you probably would not have suspected a thing, especially since it is not exactly unusual for you to spend quite a bit of time at court anyways, with you being so close to Nora. Thing that tipped the rest of us off, if you’re curious, is that for the first time in your life you were genuinely happy more often than not. That veneer of cynicism wore a bit thinner, you know?”

Thea laughed. “Alright, that’s fair,” she acknowledged, reaching into the fridge and grabbing a couple beers before passing one to Ven. “That man is annoyingly adept at making me smile and,” she hesitated, then admitted, “yes. Yes, I am truly, genuinely happy. Still trying to puzzle out how and or when to tell Bryce and Eleanor, but… eh.”

“Oh,” Ven snorted, “ _please_ let me be there for that. Bryce is going to absolutely lose his marmalade, you know that, right?”  
  


“Hey, Cat has even odds that he is simply going to be rendered speechless,” Thea retorted with a roll of her eyes. “Either way…” she sighed, “either way, it is not going to be an easy conversation. Speaking of…” She looked at Ven, poking her leg experimentally with her toe. “How are _you_?” How is… everything?”

Ven gave a heavy sigh of her own, and shrugged. “They’re ok. I know he was unhappy I was out so late the other night, but he knew Bela and Fenris and Zev had just gotten back into town. It wasn’t like I made a secret of where I was going or who I was going to be with. He can just be so passive aggressive about shit sometimes, and I almost wish we could just have it out and get it into the open so he could let it go.”

“Yeah,” Thea nodded slowly. “I can understand that. Loghain and I have both discovered we need to talk things through clearly, because I tend to pout if I don’t get a chance to, and he tends to just hope things will work themselves out, at least when it comes to emotions and whatnot.”

“At least you are talking about it, though,” Ven pointed out, a wry twist to her smile. “You will be stronger together for it. Anders and I…” She shook her head. “I don’t know, Teddy Girl. It seemed like a good idea at the time, back when we were both younger and he wasn’t quite as settled as he is now. It wouldn’t be so bad if-”

“If he didn’t expect you to be settled down, too,” Thea finished, and Ven tilted her head in agreement. “What are you going to do?”

Ven threw back another long drink of her beer before answering. “Fuck if I know,” she shrugged. “I guess I’ll see how things go in the next little while. I do care about him. I would even go so far as to say I love him, in my way, but maybe not in the way he wants me to. The way he needs me to.”

“Crazy concept, Venna, but _you_ deserve to be happy, too,” Thea observed quietly. Ven’s answering smile was bittersweet.

“Maybe.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place during the first chapter break of chapter 28 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

“I feel guilty, not helping.”

Nathaniel laughed, shaking his head and offering Loghain a small smile. “Don’t. This is good for them to have a moment, just the two of them.”

Loghain gave a quiet laugh of his own. “Funny. I suspect that was Theadosia’s intent leaving us in the same room unsupervised. I did not have the heart to tell her…” He let the thought trail off, then lifted his hands in a gesture of uncertainty. “I was not certain you would be comfortable with it.”

“With… what, exactly?” Nathaniel asked, a slight tilt to his head, and Loghain replied with a shrug.

“I cannot imagine I am your favorite person on the planet at the moment,” he noted dryly. “With everything that happened with your father.”

To his mild surprise, Nathaniel just gave a quiet chuckle. “Well, Loghain, I will tell you the same thing I told Thea: you may have opened the window of opportunity, but my father was the idiot who jumped through it. There were a lot of questionable decisions being made around that time and, though it may sting to hear it, I strongly suspect a lot of yours were influenced by Rendon, despite your best efforts to keep him at a distance.

Honestly,” Nathaniel sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I barely remember the man he used to be, Loghain, and I know even less of the boy you and Bryce grew up with. My mother loved him at one time, as did I. I would like to believe he was not always the cruel, outright evil sociopath he became later, and that I was not just an idiot as a child, though I suspect that was probably the case.”

“Of course not, Nate,” Loghain protested. “If anyone was an idiot, it was me. I should have known better; should have seen him for what he was.”

Nathaniel shrugged. “You would not be the first, Loghain, nor the last had he not been caught when he was. You know who _did_ hate him from the very beginning?” When Loghain shook his head, Nathaniel gave a short bark of laughter. “Thea. That woman has always been a much better judge of character than most. She knew from day one that Rendon was going to be a problem.”

“If only he know,” Loghain observed wryly, and Nathaniel really laughed then.

“Oh, I suspect Rendon always knew Thea would have a hand in his undoing,” he agreed, taking a thoughtful sip of his coffee before continuing. “She was smarter than him, for one thing, and worse, she refused to bow down to his perceived importance. She refused to treat him as an equal, let alone as her better, because she knew he was not.”

Loghain sat back against the couch, staring into his own mug for a long moment before speaking again. “You truly do not hate me, then? You do not blame me?”

Nathaniel’s smile widened just a fraction. “No, Loghain, I do not. And even if I _did_ blame you for what happened to Rendon which, let me be crystal clear, I do not, I still would not hate you. You know why?”

Loghain shook his head, and Nathaniel threw a glance in the direction of the kitchen where Theadosia and Cat were cleaning up after Satinalia breakfast. “I have known Thea basically since she was born. We have been best friends since she was nine and I was thirteen. We’ve been through the void and back together, and I loved her as my sister long before I married Cat and we became ‘real’ family. And in that entire time, I have never _once_ seen her as radiantly happy as she is with you. I have never once seen her smile so brightly, or seen a light so brilliant in her eyes. I have never once seen her in love. You gave her that, Loghain. As far as I am concerned? I am the one who owes you.”

He sat there, stunned. Whatever he had been expecting, Nathaniel’s statement had caught him off guard, but had also left a bloom of warmth in his heart. Theadosia was his world; his everything, and to know he made her happy, and that her life was better for having him in it rather than the exact opposite…

“Well,” Loghain finally managed, “Perhaps we can call it even.”

Nathaniel laughed.

“Perhaps we can.”


	16. Chapter 16

She was a grown woman. Loghain knew that, oh _maker_ how he knew that, yet that knowledge still did not quite entirely quell the faint hum of anxiety in his stomach as he watched Theadosia amble into the crashing waves of the Amaranthine Ocean, either oblivious to or unconcerned with the fact the waters would be frigid this time of year. They grey skies above Gwaren were heavy with the potential of either snow or rain, and there was not even a weak winter sun to warm the sands beneath their feet.

Still, he knew she loved the ocean; loved the water, and that something about the Amaranthine called to the ferocity of her own soul. Theadosia turned back towards him and smiled, a fierce and wild joy in her eyes that warmed his heart and, despite every sensible thought in his head telling him to stay put, prompted him to pull of his shoes and roll up his jeans past his knees and follow her to the water’s edge.

“You probably shouldn’t follow me into the water,” she observed, her voice ever so slightly giddy as another wave wrapped foamy tendrils around her calves. “It is quite cold.”

“And yet you expect me to stay on shore, winter winds whipping around me as I patiently wait for you to get swallowed up by the sea,” he retorted, and she laughed, the music of it weaving itself into the melody of the water and breeze as if it had always belonged there. “Perhaps if you see my legs turning blue with chill you will take pity on me and return to shore sooner.”

Theadosia gave another small hum of laughter, but she did begin wading back towards the shoreline where even now the waves were creeping ever closer to Loghain’s feet. The water that dripped from her skin onto his as she wrapped her arms around his waist was, in fact, ice cold, but her lips were warm when they met his. “Or perhaps I simply need the right motivation to drag myself away from my precious ocean,” she murmured, her body pressing against his such that he was certain she must feel his own heartbeat quickening against his chest.

He gave a brief snort, though his hands had drifted farther down her waist to her hips, pulling her closer. “I suppose I should not be so arrogant as to assume you would simply take pity on a man worried about the woman he loves wandering out to sea never to return.”

“Mmm, fair enough,” she conceded, nestling her head against his chest. “I believe you used that same logic when I was pouting and refused to come to bed after that fight we had when Nora was attacked. I would say it was cheating, save for the fact I know you are right.”

“I will take it,” he said with a mock sigh, and when she looked up at him, he could not help but return her smile. “That being said, if you are ready to warm up, I was going to suggest returning to the castle for a warm shower and then perhaps wandering into town so I can take you to that restaurant I was telling you about.”

Her smile softened a bit, then shifted to something more tempting. “You’ve nearly sold me on it,” she replied, her tone deceptively innocent. “I suppose if you were to add in the promise of company whilst I were in the shower, I could probably tear myself away from the shore.”

He tilted her chin up so that she was facing him before leaning down to whisper in her ear, lips brushing briefly against cheek.

“That, my heart, I can promise.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This installment takes place directly before chapter 32 of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea.

Thea stared at her reflection in the mirror, very nearly not recognizing herself as she carefully combed out the long auburn waves of her hair. She puzzled over it for a long moment, before the realization finally struck her.

She was happy.

It was not as though she had ever been particularly miserable. Even her earliest years living with her birth parents had been tempered by the love and care of Margot, who had really been the one raising her younger sister. And life with the Cousland side of the family had been wonderful. Thea had finally had the parents and family life she had always wanted, and she had found a best friend, too. But even then, even still, there had been a quiet, insistent sort of hesitance to her; a refusal to allow herself to be truly happy.

And now, on the eve of her wedding day, she was. She set her comb aside before allowing herself one final smile in the mirror, and was only mildly surprised to see Loghain’s reflection doing the same. He bent down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head before offering her a hand and guiding her to their bed. She tossed her clothes into the hamper, then slipped beneath the sheets before nestling closer to him, letting her head rest on his chest.

“Are you nervous?”

“No,” she murmured softly, letting her lips brush against the warmth of his skin as he held her, his hand gently stroking her hair. “I love you, Loghain. My heart feels whole, for the first time in my life. I already know it belongs to you, and I am ready to make that promise before the Maker, or whoever it is that is listening, and before the rest of the world.” She paused for a moment, her eyes already started to drift shut. “Are you?”

She felt more than heard the low rumble of laughter in his chest. “No,” he replied, leaving no question of his sincerity in his tone, though his next words were thoughtful. “For the first time in my life, Theadosia, I feel as though I am exactly where I am meant to be. With exactly _whom_ I am meant to be. And perhaps I should feel more guilt for that, but I simply do not. Not anymore.”

“I’m glad,” Thea replied, and she released the breath she had not even realized she had been holding, an act not lost on Loghain. He held her a little closer, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“Theadosia,” he whispered, “I love you. With all my heart, and my soul, and every part of me. I love you. And yes, though we have already made those promises to each other, I am ready to make them before whatever god may be listening, and before the rest of the world. I am still in awe that you love me, and that I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.”

Thea smiled, and Loghain reached over to turn off the bedside lamp before settling back down beside her, his arm wrapping almost instinctively around her waist as she fitted her body against his.

This was exactly where she belonged.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The remaining installments take place after the main storyline of Where Lightning Strikes the Sea. <3

“You know, one of these days someone is going to see us like this.”

Thea laughed, the sound carrying brightly through the clear summer night air. “Doubtful,” she retorted as Loghain joined her on the blanket they had laid out under the stars, handing over a tumbler of her favorite whiskey and pressing a line of kisses along her jaw. She giggled quietly, wrapping one bare leg around his and running her toes down along his calf. “This is hardly the first time I’ve gone summer stargazing wearing absolutely nothing, you know. It is simply the first time I have done so with such pleasant company.”

“Mmm,” he hummed in agreement, his lips moving down to her neck and shoulder. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised,” he admitted, his teeth grazing against the tender spot he knew made her weak. “You do have an adventurous streak, don’t you?”

Thea set her glass aside and lay down on the blanket, curling up next to her husband when he followed suit. “Perhaps,” she shrugged, “though I am finding you seem to have one as well. I’d never try and make you do something you did not already have a mind to do, you know.”

“Oh Sweetheart, I know,” he replied, his hand cupping the back of her neck gently as he kissed her, long and deep. “That, I admit, did surprise me,” he said when they finally parted.

She tilted her back to look at him, openly curious. “Oh?” Thea asked. “Which part? My willingness to have sex in interesting places and positions, or that you enjoy it too?”

Loghain laughed, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her up so that she was lying across his chest. “The latter. Maybe a tiny bit of the former, but in either case it was a pleasant surprise. To be honest…” He hesitated, and Thea nuzzled her cheek against his chest, wrapping her arms around him a little tighter until he gave a small sigh and continued. “Theadosia, I thought that part of my life was over.”

A small laugh escaped her lips before she could stop herself. “Why in the world would you think that, Loghain?” She asked, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Despite your protestations to the contrary, you are still relatively young, and you’re damn sexy. Almost impossibly so, really. And you’ve kept yourself in remarkably good shape, so stamina has never been an issue, so-”

He silenced her list with another kiss, softer this time, but just as passionate. “You are giving me far too much credit, my heart,” he whispered, leaning his head back against the blanket. “And while I will admit those concerns have crossed my mind in the past, mostly it was… well, it was that I thought I would never fall in love. Not the way I did with you, and I had no particular interest in simply tumbling into bed with someone out of boredom. Rowan was… we were so young, and I did love her in the way young people do, but even had she not died I think that would have eventually ended badly. We were both so hung up on our perceived responsibilities. And Celia and I, well, we were too young as well. We got married too young for the sake of political stability, had Anora too young, and tried building a relationship after the fact. She was a good woman, and quite honestly, she deserved a better husband than I.”

Thea was not entirely certain what to say. Loghain rarely talked about Celia, and even more rarely talked about Rowan. She did not doubt his love for her; not in the slightest, but she knew those memories were painful for him, and out of respect for that she did not bring them up unless he did. “For whatever it is worth, Loghain,” she spoke softly, running her fingers gently through his hair, “I am not entirely certain I deserve you, but I am utterly grateful that you are here, and that you love me. You have my heart.”

“As you have mine, Theadosia,” he replied, “And I meant it when I said I intend to spend the rest of my life being the man, and now the husband, you deserve. I love you.”

She breathed a soft sigh of contentment, shifting so that she was once again lying beside him, her head on his shoulder as they gazed up at the stars.

“I love you.”


End file.
